Kansas State Wildcats
The Kansas State Wildcats basketball program is the intercollegiate basketball program of Kansas State University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas State's men's basketball team began competition in 1902. The program has a long history of success. The first two Missouri Valley Conference titles captured by the school were won in the sport, in 1917 and 1919. Kansas State has gone on to capture 17 conference crowns in the sport. Bruce Weber (basketball coach) is the current head coach. History Through the years the team earned the right to participate in 23 NCAA basketball tournaments. Kansas State's best finish at the tournament came in 1951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, when it played the University of Kentucky for the national championship. The school has reached the Final Four four times, the Elite Eight 11 times, and the Sweet Sixteen 16 times. Included among K-State's tournament wins are some all-time classics, including a 50-48 win over second-ranked Oregon State in 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, and a 83-80 win over Oscar Robertson's University of Cincinnati team in 1958 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, which Sports Illustrated called "the game of the year." The best season in the school's history may have been 1959, when the team finished the season ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press Poll. K-State has finished ranked in the Top Ten of the poll on six other occasions, and in the top twenty twelve total times. The team has also posted a winning record at home every year since 1946. In the 1990s, however, the program faded from the national scene. Kansas State was ranked No. 22 on Street & Smith's 2005 list of the "100 Greatest Basketball Programs of All-Time" Bob Huggins coached for one season at K-State in 2006 and led the school to a berth in the NIT Tournament and its first 20-win season since 1989. However, on April 5, 2007, Huggins announced that he was leaving to accept the head coach position at West Virginia, his alma mater. Huggins was replaced by Huggin's assistant Frank Martin (basketball coach). The team started the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season ranked in the AP top 25. The team went on to a 20-11 record with a 10-6 record in the Big 12 Conference. Sunflower Showdown In the early stages of the rivalry the primary focus was basketball since neither Kansas State or Kansas had very strong football teams. Both teams were consistently ranked in the Top 5 and made almost annual appearances in the NCAA tournament. The rivalry on the hardwood peaked in the 1950's when both teams were national title contenders. A facilities race also began in the 1950's starting with the construction of Kansas State's Ahearn Fieldhouse, which was one of the biggest and nicest all around basketball facilities in the country with a capacity of 14,000. Kansas soon answered with Allen Fieldhouse which would seat 17,000. The rivalry continued as strong as ever up until the 1980's when Kansas State fell of the face of the college basketball world. Kansas State moved out of Ahearn Fieldhouse and into Bramlage Coliseum in 1988. Kansas began a 24 game win streak against the Wildcats in Manhattan in 1983, until on January 30, 2008 #22 Kansas State upset #2 Kansas 84-75, winning against Kansas in Bramlage Coliseum for the first time. 2006 saw a turn-around in Kansas State basketball with the hiring of Bob Huggins, but after one season Huggins left, leaving his assistant Frank Martin at the helm. 2007 #1 recruit Michael Beasley and #7 recruit Bill Walker helped to end the streak and put the rivalry back on the map. NCAA Tournament appearances Final Four teams *1948 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (Semi-finalist) Beat Wyoming 58-48; lost to Baylor 60-52 *1951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (Finalist) Beat Arizona 61-69; beat BYU 64-54; beat Oklahoma A&M 68-44; lost to Kentucky 68-58 *1958 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (Semi-finalist) Earned a first-round bye; beat Cincinnati 83-80; beat Oklahoma State 69-57; lost to Seattle 73-51 in semi-finals; lost to Temple 67-57 in third-place game *1964 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (Semi-finalist) Earned a first-round bye; beat Texas Western 64-60; beat Wichita State 94-86; lost to UCLA 90-84 in semi-finals; lost to Michigan 100-90 in third-place game Elite Eight teams *1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; beat DePaul 102-70; lost to Cincinnati 85-75 *1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; beat Houston 75-64; lost to Cincinnati 69-64 *1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; beat Texas 66-55; lost to Louisville 72-65 *1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; beat Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 66-63; lost to Memphis State 92-72 *1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Beat Pennsylvania 69-62; beat Boston College 74-65; lost to Syracuse 95-87 in (OT) *1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 8 Seed) Beat # 9 seed San Francisco 64-60; beat # 1 seed Oregon State 50-48; beat # 4 seed Illinois 57-52; Lost to # 2 Seed North Carolina 68-62 *1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 4 Seed) Beat # 13 seed La Salle Explorers men's basketball 66-53; beat # 5 seed DePaul 66-58; beat # 1 seed Purdue 73-70; lost to # 6 seed Kansas 71-58 Sweet Sixteen teams *1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; lost to Oklahoma City 97-93 in the Second Round *1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; lost to TCU 77-72 in the Second Round; Lost to Louisville 93-63 in the Regional third-place game *1970 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Earned a first-round bye; lost to New Mexico State 66-70 in the second round; beat Houston 107-98 in the Regional third-place game *1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Beat Providence 87-80 in first round; Lost to Marquette, 67-66 in second round *1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 5 Seed) Beat # 12 seed Northern Illinois 77-68 in first round; beat # 4 seed Arkansas, 65-64 in second round; lost to # 8 seed Boston College 69-65 in the Sweet Sixteen Other appearances *1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 7 Seed) Beat # 10 seed Arkansas 71-53 in first round; lost to # 2 seed Louisville, 71-69 in second round *1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 9 Seed) Beat Georgia 82-79 in first round; lost to # 1 seed UNLV, 92-78 in second round *1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 6 Seed) Lost to #11 seed Minnesota 86-75 in first round *1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 11 Seed) Lost to # 6 seed Xavier 87-79 in first round *1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 6 Seed) Lost to # 11 seed Tulane 55-53 in first round *1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 10 Seed) Lost to # 7 seed New Mexico 69-48 in first round *2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (# 11 Seed) Beat # 6 seed USC 80-67 in first round; lost to # 3 seed Wisconsin 72-55 in the second round. Notable former Wildcats * Tyrone Adams * Ernie Barrett * Danny Beard * Michael Beasley * Jason Bennett * Rolando Blackman * Bob Boozer * Noris Coleman * Larry Comley * Les Craft * Roy DeWitz * Mike Evans * Wally Frank * Carl Gerlach * David Hall * Steve Henson * Lew Hitch * Steve Honeycutt * Jim Iverson * Askia Jones * Dick Knostman * Lon Kruger * Ernie Kusnyer * Don Matuzsak * Steve Mitchell * Willie Murrell * Ed Nealy * Pervis Pasco * Nick Pino * Jack Parr * Randy Reed * Fredrick "Tex" Winter * Mitch Richmond * Matt Siebrandt * Earl Seyfert * Howie Shannon * Roy Smith * Roger Suttner * Jerry Venable * Bill Walker (basketball) * Jeff Webb * Chuckie Williams * Gene Williams * Larry Williams * Mike Wroblewski Coaches Kansas State has had 23 head coaches. A number of notable and successful coaches have led the Wildcats through the years as well as some coaches that are better left forgotten. Following are all the coaches that have been at Kansas State. |} Conference Membership History *1897-1922: No conference *1923-1928: Missouri Valley Conference *1929-1947: Big Six Conference *1948-1957: Big Seven Conference *1958-1996: Big Eight Conference *1997-Present: Big 12 Conference External Links *Official athletics site Category:NCAA Division I schools Category:Big Twelve Conference members Category:Schools in Kansas